Ask A Skate Shop - Freestyle

In the run-up to Skate Shop Day, we thought we'd reach out to some our favourite shops across the UK to ask them some not-so-serious questions about the highs and lows of running a skate shop.

So far we've travelled far and wide across the UK for our Ask A Skate Shop series but now it's time we came back home to our closest skate shop (both emotionally and geographically): Newport's Freestyle. First opened in 1995, Grim and his predecessors have been supporting the local scene and dealing with the very worst that Newport has to throw at them for almost 30 years now and they're still here to tell the tale, making him very brave, stupid or most likely a mixture of the two. Grim's treated us to a load of very Welsh answers with nods to local legends like Sam Pulley to pissed-up Shop Riot missions with the (un)holy trinity of Welsh skate shops. Cheers Grim!

• Favourite shop video?
• Beez I-III or Gwent Theft Auto.
• Best shop employee?
• Buddy RIP.
• Worst shop employee?
• Dinkle as her ass can clear a room.
• Best team rider?
• We have so many but Pulley does so much for the shop.

• Most played video in the shop?
• Underachievers [Eastern Exposure 3].
• Cheekiest request from a customer?
• "I’m opening a shop, write me down your suppliers and telephone numbers."
• The shop wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for...
• My brother-in-law stepping in at a tough time.
• Most common question you get asked?
• "Where’s the barbers?" It’s up stairs and run by our team rider, Nathan.

• If you could bring back one brand from the grave, what would it be?
• Zooport
• Best memory from a shop trip or session?
• Turning up late at shop riot with you guys and Exist everyone had drawn on each other, they weren’t going to let us in, everyone was pissed and we came in like a wrecking ball to quote the beautiful Miley Cyrus 😂
• Best thing to come out of running a shop?
• Destroying stereo types. Letting people know we are loose cannons but we're kind and helpful and a community that cannot be compared to. We are family.

That's enough chit-chat though. Head to the shop to buy the latest skateboard decks, clothing, shoes and more from CSC. Or, check out the rest of our Ask A Skate Shop series on the CSC Blog. Safe.